


X-Patrol: Chapter 15 - The Escape

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Crossover, Fiction, M/M, Mpreg, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-04-24
Updated: 2004-04-24
Packaged: 2018-11-21 01:56:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11347479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: The price of freedom becomes more than Mulder is willing to pay.  There's a new arrival on the mountain.





	X-Patrol: Chapter 15 - The Escape

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

X-Patrol: Chapter 15 - The Escape

### X-Patrol: Chapter 15 - The Escape

#### by Jo B

  


Title: X-Patrol: Chapter 15 - The Escape 

Author: Jo B 

Keywords: M/Sk, D/K, and J/B. Slash AU mpreg XF/TS crossover 

Rating: NC-17 

Story Summary: Colonization has begun. Four men set aside their differences and form an alliance to fight the aliens and stake out a new life together in their shattered world. 

Chapter Summary: The price of freedom becomes more than Mulder is willing to pay. There's a new arrival on the mountain. 

Disclaimer: The X-Files are the property Chris Carter, 1013 productions and Fox Broadcasting. The Sentinel belongs to Pet Fly Productions, UPN, and Paramount. No money is being made from their use. 

Author's notes: A little surprise for Sentinel fans in this chapter. 

Warning! This story contains romance between two men. Turn back now, if the subject matter offends you. Warning! Warning! This story contains male pregnancy! Eek run for your lives! 

Archive: Yes, just leave my name attached. 

Web site: http://slashingmulder.com/JoB/ 

Special thanks to my beta-readers Joey and Xscribe. 

* * *

Chapter 15  
X-Patrol 

The Escape 

The Fox 

Area 51  
Tuesday, July 23, 2002 

Five days had passed since Mulder was flown to Area 51, where he was stripped and given a bright orange prison uniform to wear, then locked inside a small prison cell. He felt lucky that they hadn't subjected him to a full body search, so his secret was still safe. 

The cell had no bed, only a concrete floor for him to sleep on -- that is -- if they allowed him to sleep. Anytime he nodded off a guard would come into the cell and wake him. Not that falling to sleep was easy. The brightly lit recessed lighting was left on 24/7, making the cell uncomfortably hot. Mulder knew they were trying to break him and make him malleable for the upcoming interrogation. When that would be he could only guess. 

A pang of sadness filled Mulder's entire being. God, he missed Walter and Connor so much it hurt. To top it off, he no longer felt pregnant, as he had after Walter made love to him a mere twelve days ago. Maybe he never was and only wished himself to be over the fears his visions had caused him. 

Mulder sighed and rested his chin on his knees as he sat against the brick wall. Sweat dripped between his shoulder blades. The cell was too hot and sweat soaked the thin cotton uniform as he perspired. 

With nothing else to occupy his mind during this grueling confinement, Mulder used the time to examine the direction his life had taken over the past two years: From being abducted and tortured by the aliens only to be returned and buried alive, then his second abduction that lasted only a week but changed his life forever. Before the aliens genetically transformed him into a hermaphrodite, the idea that he would fall hopelessly in love with another man would have been laughable. Although Mulder had admired other men, he'd never been sexually attracted to them. After his transformation, he started seeing them in a whole new light. Feelings of arousal had become common whenever he was near another man he found attractive. All five men who had moved in with him at his mountain home stirred sexual feelings in Mulder. He would even admit to being in love with John and Alex, but only Walter had claimed his soul along with his heart. Having a baby together had cemented their love permanently. 

Mulder had enjoyed every second with Connor, bathing and feeding the baby -- even changing his diapers. Deep down he had longed to be part of a large loving family -- something he hadn't had growing up. When his mother committed suicide he felt totally alone. It was that longing that made him sad that he wasn't pregnant when he should have been relieved, given the circumstances. 

Hugging his legs as he sat against the brick wall, Mulder sighed as he thought about his lover. How lucky he'd been to have found such a handsome and caring man for a partner. Mulder smiled as he remembered how much Walter enjoyed kissing and touching him. Who'd have thought that the surly A.D. would turn out to be such a passionate lover? 

The iron door opened and Rohrer stepped inside the cell. "Get up. General Vaughan is ready to see you." 

"'Bout time," Mulder grumbled. He used the wall behind him to steady himself as he rose and then limped barefooted to the door. Being deprived of sleep was having its effect on him, he was close to collapse, and hoped that after the meeting he'd be allowed to sleep. 

They walked down the long dimly-lit corridor in the sub terrain complex, then up a dozen flights of stairs. By the time they arrived at the General's office Mulder, was breathless and feeling sick to his stomach so he couldn't mask his shock when his eyes fell on General Vaughan. The man looked exactly like his dead informant, Mr. X, except this man was cleanly shaven. 

The general met his eyes then ordered Rohrer out of the office. After Rohrer left, Vaughan nodded toward one of the two chairs in front of his desk. 

"Sit down, Agent Mulder, you look like you're about to drop." 

"Who are you?" Mulder asked as he sat gratefully on the chair. 

"General Thomas Vaughan, United States Army." The general looked deeply into his eyes. "I can tell by the way you're looking at me that you think you know me. I can assure you that I'm not who you think I am; you knew my late twin brother. I believe he was gunned down on your doorstep." 

"I'm sorry...." 

"No need to be ... my brother knew the risks." 

"Still, he was murdered because he was helping me." 

"He was assassinated because he was fighting against the conspirators who were working with the aliens. You were only a tool to him." Vaughan leaned forward in his chair. "Are you ready to talk?" 

"I'd like to cut a deal," Mulder said as he gazed into the other man's dark unreadable eyes. 

"Captain Scully mentioned that ... he considers you a traitor and advised me against making any deals with you." 

"He would," Mulder sighed and slumped in the chair, hopes of negotiating his freedom rapidly sinking. Fatigue made it hard for him to think clearly. 

"Don't worry I never listen to subordinates with grudges." Vaughan stood and walked over to a cabinet in the corner. "What type of deal do you propose?" 

Mulder straightened as he looked at the larger man's broad back. "I'll tell you everything I know about the aliens. My theory on why they attacked and what we need to do to defeat them for my release and a full pardon for Alex Krycek, John Doggett, and Elizabeth Nash." 

The general poured himself two fingers of Scotch then walked over to the front of his desk and leaned against it. He looked at Mulder while he sipped his drink. "I'll agree to a full pardon for Alex Krycek, Special Agent John Doggett, and Colonel Elizabeth Nash ... but your freedom ... that will require something extra." 

"What do you have in mind?" Mulder didn't like how the man was looking at him. 

"You'll service me sexually until we defeat the aliens then I'll let you go free." 

Mulder shook his head. "Don't ask me to do that...." 

"You have a choice. You can be moderately comfortable with me or you can spend the rest of your life in prison where a pretty white boy such as yourself will surely end up as some big convict's wife or worse a fuck toy for the cell block." The General tossed back the remainder of his drink. "Don't make your decision now ... sleep on it. I'll give you 'til tomorrow to think it over." 

"Why are you doing this to me?" Mulder never expected that he'd have to whore himself in order to win his freedom. It made no sense to him why this man would be even the slightest bit interested in him, sexually. 

The General shrugged. "Until I laid eyes on you, I had no intention of doing anything to you. My brother said you were good looking, he just never said how good-looking. Unlike my brother, I have certain tastes in sexual partners and you fit that bill perfectly." Vaughan stood, walked over to Mulder, and reached out to caress his cheek with the back of his hand. "Strange. You have no facial stubble after spending five days and nights without shaving." 

Mulder jerked his head away. "Don't touch me!" 

Vaughan gave Mulder a speculative look. "You were abducted almost two years ago. Your medical records indicated that you were cured of an alien virus with an anti-viral -- but were you?" Vaughan walked back to his desk and sat. "Maybe I should order medical tests...." 

"No!" Mulder leaped to his feet. The last thing he wanted was for it to become general knowledge that he was a hermaphrodite. He'd been lucky so far that they hadn't examined him and he wanted to keep it that way. Maybe he could turn this man's apparent lust to his benefit. He'd do anything to gain his freedom and return to Walter and their son, even if it meant degrading himself in the process. "I'll agree to whatever you want as long as you don't subject me to medical tests and agree to let me go after we defeat the aliens." 

Vaughan looked at him for several long seconds. "What are you hiding?" 

"You'll find out everything only if you agree to my terms." Mulder held his breath. This man had his life in his hands. The thought of allowing anyone other than Walter to touch him made Mulder ill. He only hoped that Walter would understand and forgive him. 

"Fine, as long as you willingly submit to me. I don't get off on rape." 

"I'll submit to you because you leave no other choice." 

The General placed a tape recorder on his desk, and turned it on. "I agree to your terms. Now tell me what you know about the aliens." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear and Dog 

Tuesday, July 23, 2002 

As the sun set over the horizon, the sound of steel cutting through wood echoed throughout the tree-lined yard as Skinner chopped a notch into the log with an ax. Since Fox had turned himself into the military, Skinner spent most of his free time working on the addition. He seldom slept. Sleep had become hard without Fox in bed beside him. 

So he'd set himself a goal of having the addition completed by the time Fox returned. There was no doubt in Skinner's mind that his lover would return and they'd be able to resume their peaceful life together. 

The other men were helping him with Connor. Still, every two hours he'd take a break to feed and nurture his son. Then he'd come back outside to work while Blair or Alex watched Connor. At night he'd take Connor out to the workshop with him while he worked on other projects for the addition. Currently, he was designing a chandelier out of antlers that would hang from the high ceiling in the new parlor. 

As the last of the light faded, Skinner set the ax down and stretched while looking up at the log frame of the new addition. They were making good progress. Alex's and John's new second floor bedroom should be finished within a month, and the rest of the addition, two months tops. He climbed up onto the platform, headed across the wooden foundation to door, and entered the house. 

John was at the kitchen sink washing the dishes and glanced over his shoulder when Skinner entered. "Sit down, Walt, and I'll get your dinner," he said. 

"I'm not hungry." Skinner picked up Connor from the bassinet in the parlor and cuddled his son against his sweaty chest. The baby made mewing sounds as his mouth sought his mother's nipple. Skinner held the baby away from his breast and headed over to the refrigerator for a bottle of milk. "I'm going feed Connor then take a shower and turn in for the night." 

"Stop right there!" Doggett tossed the dishrag in the sink. "You're going to eat if I have to tie you to the dining room chair." 

Skinner's eyebrows rose at the unexpected outburst from his former subordinate; he stopped short of asking 'you and what army?' just as he realized that John was only concerned about his well-being. So Skinner nodded. "Okay, you don't have to resort to force; your cooking isn't that bad." 

Doggett shook his head as he retrieved the leftovers from the refrigerator and went about reheating it while Skinner warmed a bottle of milk. "My cooking is better than yours, which isn't saying much." 

Skinner sighed as he held his son. "Fox could cook us both under the table." 

Chuckling, Doggett replied, "When he gets his butt back here I think we should give him a month's worth of cooking duty as punishment for ditching us." 

"I don't think Fox would consider that to be much of a punishment, but at least we'd get some damn fine eats out of it." Skinner was still amazed that his erstwhile lover turned out to be so talented in the kitchen. A talent that was a godsend under their current situation. When Skinner had been married to Sharon, she cooked for him. After their divorce Skinner ate mostly in restaurants or ordered takeout to be delivered. Other than making breakfast, cooking was something he didn't do until he moved here with Fox and the other men. At least none of the meals he fixed had made anyone sick. 

Doggett placed a steaming plate of shepherd's pie in front of Skinner along with a slice of buttered bread and a glass of milk. "Sean radioed. He found a large deep freezer that we can put out in the barn. We'd be able to store all the meat out there and use the smaller freezer in here for other things." 

"That should help us get through winter easier," Skinner said as picked up the fork while cradling Connor. In the winter, food seemed to become their primary focus when there was little else to do. Their lives revolved around hunting, tending the livestock, ice fishing, and cooking. Skinner smiled as an image of snuggling in bed with Fox on one cold winter morning during a blizzard leapt to his mind. Maybe food wasn't Skinner's main focus in the winter. Fox better have his butt back there -- otherwise it was going to be a long cold winter. 

Sipping a home-brewed beer as he leaned up against the counter, Doggett said, "This winter we'll be better prepared than last. We'll have our root cellar well-stocked and our freezer full of meat." 

"This winter we'll have three babies to take care of," Skinner countered. 

"I know." Doggett grinned as he pulled the bottle of milk out of the pan of hot water and tested its temperature on his wrist. "This place will seem more like a home with children underfoot." 

Skinner sighed. "Maybe for you and the others, but it won't feel like a home to me until Fox is back." 

"Fox loves you and will do whatever it takes to get back here," Doggett said as he gently took the baby to feed him while Skinner ate. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Friday, July 26, 2002 

It was three days since their initial meeting, and each day, General Thomas Vaughan interrogated Mulder, watching for any indication that the younger man wasn't being truthful. From every gesture of those long graceful hands to the shifting colors in those almond-shaped eyes, to the titillating movements of that tall lanky body, and the husky softness of that velvety voice -- Vaughan was becoming mesmerized by this extremely beautiful man. 

The digital recordings from their interviews were forwarded over the military's secure intranet to the High Command in Colorado. The information he'd garnered from Mulder had impressed the High Command so much that Vaughan hoped for a promotion to Colorado and away from this secluded desert base. 

While Vaughan questioned Mulder, he paced around his office as Mulder sat on a hardback wooden chair in front of his desk. "So you're claiming that if we attacked the alien ships wherever they are on Earth that we can force them to retreat?" He'd asked this question several times over the last three days and Mulder never swayed from his answer. 

"Yes." Mulder twisted in the chair to follow Vaughan's movements around the office. "As I told you yesterday, we're dealing with a dying race of aliens that are no longer able to breed amongst themselves. They cannot afford to lose any more of their species ... that's why they haven't attacked North America again. We shot down too many of their spaceships, and this is also why they used the morphing Grays over the last sixty years to infiltrate our planet and hadn't come themselves. The Lycanthropes are in charge ... the Grays are subservient to them." 

"Lycanthrope?" Vaughan stopped pacing and turned to look at Mulder. "Are you saying we're dealing with a race of werewolves? I thought you hadn't seen them." At this new information, for the first time Vaughan was beginning to question Mulder's sanity. 

"I haven't seen them directly...." Mulder blushed and shifted on the chair. "I've only seen one in visions that I've had." 

"Visions?" Seeing the look of embarrassment on Mulder's face, Vaughan wondered about what these visions entailed. 

For most of his life, he had been the skeptic to his twin brother's believer. Only his later involvement in secret military projects had convinced Vaughan that the paranormal couldn't be scoffed at. It was this knowledge that allowed him to calmly listen to Mulder's claim of visions and evaluate it for what it was worth -- and conclude that coming from this man, the claims were highly credible. Just what it meant, Vaughan had no idea. So he switched the topic until he could spend some time alone thinking about this latest revelation. 

"The military has confirmed that the aliens are abducting only healthy human males between the ages of 16 and 50 from the conquered lands. That backs up your claim that these men might be part of the alien's breeding program," Vaughan said. If it weren't for the recent military's medical data on Alex Krycek, this part of Mulder's theory about human males being genetically altered into hermaphrodites would have been nearly impossible for the general to believe. He was beginning to wonder if maybe Mulder had first hand knowledge about hermaphrodites. Since Vaughan intended to have first hand knowledge of the fascinating body before him, he would soon find out for himself. His suspicions that something wasn't quite right with Mulder were one of the reasons Vaughan didn't schedule a medical examination for the younger man. If it was confirmed that Mulder was a hermaphrodite the military would have transferred him to their medical research facility in Colorado, thus ending the general's plans for the former FBI agent. 

Mulder's expression turned grim. "They've had almost a year to abduct hundreds of thousands of men for their breeding program, which could work in our advantage. They might be persuaded to leave and take their spoils with them instead of chancing a further confrontation with us and losing it all." 

"That's logical." Vaughan turned off the tape recorder, walked behind Mulder's chair, and placed his large hands on the other man's shoulders. He enjoyed the way Mulder tensed then relaxed under Vaughan's touch. The man's scent was highly arousing. Vaughan tingled with anticipation of exploring every crevice of Mulder's gorgeous body. He unconsciously ground his erection into the back of the chair. "I think it's time you start fulfilling your end of our agreement ... don?t you?" 

"What do you want me to do?" Mulder's voice was filled with trepidation, which pleased the General. 

After Vaughan laid eyes on this beautiful man, he wanted to find out every personal detail about Mulder, so he immediately retrieved all of the intelligence reports about this former FBI agent. The surveillance documents confirmed that Mulder was straight. At least there was no indication on any of the reports that the agent had any homosexual leanings. His pornography collection had been completely heterosexual. In the past, Mulder had only dated women and was even briefly married to one. The last few years of surveillance showed Mulder to be celibate. So Vaughan assumed he was about to give a virgin his first taste of male-on-male sex. With that knowledge the general decided to take it slowly. No need to pop the younger man's cherry too quickly; might as well build up anticipation while knocking down Mulder's resistance. 

"I want you to give me a hand job," Vaughan said as he glanced down at those graceful hands with their long slender fingers. "I'm sure you're experienced at jerking off." 

After several long seconds with a shaky voice Mulder asked, "Do you have any lube?" 

Vaughan had been worried for a moment that Mulder might try to back out of their agreement. The general walked over to his desk, opened the side drawer, and pulled a tube of Astroglide. By the time he walked back to Mulder, Vaughan's erection was tenting his pants. Standing in front of the former FBI agent, Vaughan dropped the tube onto his lap. "Unzip me." 

Mulder's hands shook as he did as ordered. 

"Pull it out," Vaughan ordered while enjoying the anxious look on Mulder's face. 

Chewing on his lower lip, Mulder reached in and freed the General's erection from the dark cotton briefs. 

Feeling those firm slender fingers around his shaft, Vaughan purred, "Oh yeah, that's it ... now use a little lube and be careful not to get any on my pants." He enjoyed the contrast of Mulder's pale fingers against his black shaft. Vaughan had a preference for fit, good-looking white men. Not that he'd ever examined his preference beyond the desire to dominate and top his partners. His relationships had never developed further than sex with any of them. 

While Mulder firmly gripped his shaft proceeded to jerk him off with export strokes, Vaughan reached out and ran his fingers through the younger man's thick brown hair. He marveled at the softness while he admired the beauty of Mulder's face ?-eyes closed, full lips slightly parted, and head tilted. So intent was Vaughan on watching Mulder that he was taken by surprise when he suddenly orgasmed. White, milky come splattered on the younger man's orange prison shirt. 

Shaken by his sudden lack of control, the General quickly tucked himself into his pants and moved away from Mulder. "Go use the bathroom and clean up," he ordered as he sat behind his desk. 

Mulder hurried into the bathroom and closed the door. 

Through the door, Vaughan heard the water go on and the sound of Mulder retching. He'd never allowed another man to affect him the way Mulder just did. Vaughan decided he had to step back and reevaluate their agreement. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Panther and Bear 

Saturday, July 27, 2002 

Slipping quietly out of bed, Ellison glanced down at Blair who was sleeping on his back with his huge belly covered by a linen sheet. The love they felt for each other had grown even deeper over the months they had spent at this small farm. Only a month to go before their child would be born. He only wished this pregnancy wasn't so physically hard on Blair. 

Ducking under the mosquito netting, he headed out of the room to the kitchen dressed only in boxers. Walter was sitting in the parlor rocking and feeding Connor. 

"Hey, Walt," Ellison said as he opened the refrigerator and took a fried chicken thigh from the covered bowl of leftovers. Grabbing an ice cold pitcher of milk, he went to the counter. He opened the cabinet to retrieve a glass. 

"How's Blair doing?" Walter asked. 

"He's sleeping." Ellison filled the glass with milk, sat at the cooks table and twisted around on the stool so he could see Walter while they talked. "I gave him a massage and he dropped off like a rock. I hate seeing him suffering such discomfort. I've never seen ankles so swollen." 

Walter set the bottle on the end table then turned Connor over on his belly and rubbed his back. "It won't be much longer before your baby is born." 

"I can't wait." Ellison took a bite out of the cold piece of fried chicken. 

Walter smiled and stood while cradling his baby against his chest. "Let's see if you still feel that way when you have to get up every two hours to feed the baby." The look of love in Walter's eyes as he held Connor told Ellison that this man didn't mind getting up in the middle of the night to take care of his son. 

Ellison picked up the glass of milk. "Not that I would mind, but Blair plans to breast feed, so he'll be the one getting up every two hours." 

"You should convince Blair to allow you to bottle feed your baby," Walter said. "Fox loved taking care of Connor." 

Ellison saw the sadness on Walter's face. "After Blair has our baby, I'll try to contact some friends in Special Forces and see if they can secure Fox's release." 

"No!" 

"Why not?" Ellison was taken aback by Walter's response. 

"Fox sacrificed himself to lead the military away from our home. I won't allow you to jeopardize it by exposing your involvement with Fox to the military." 

"Even if it means never seeing him again?" 

"Fox will return to me after he clears his name with the military." Walter looked into Ellison's eyes. "If you had known Fox when he was an FBI agent, you would know that he is more than capable of getting out of some tight spots." 

"If he doesn't return?" 

"I have a friend in the High Command. If Fox hasn't returned in a few months, I'll contact General Gordon." Walter smiled sadly. "I better put Connor in his crib and try to get some sleep. Goodnight." 

"Night, Walt." Ellison felt sad for Walter and wanted to find some way to help his friend to get through this rough period in his life. He just couldn't think of anything that would make it easier for Walter. Maybe Blair would have an idea. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Tuesday, July 30, 2002 

Mulder curled up on his side on the hard concrete floor of the cell and tried to get some sleep. He ducked his head into the crook of his arm to block out the glaring overhead lights. The lights were never turned off but at least the guards were allowing him to sleep instead of roughly shaking him awake whenever he nodded off. 

Four days had passed since he had given General Vaughan a hand job and for some reason that was the last time Mulder had seen the man. Not that it mattered. Mulder would prefer never to see him again. He had felt dirty after jerking the other man off and being sprayed with his ejaculate. Only closing his eyes and pretending that it was Walter got Mulder through the humiliating experience. He missed his lover so much, and wanted nothing more from life than to be back in Walter's strong arms. 

Since accepting that he wasn't pregnant, Mulder's main fear was getting out of there before his next period. He'd been lucky so far that they hadn't subjected him to a physical exam. Especially after he told Vaughan his theory that human males were being turned into hermaphrodites by the aliens. Mulder had feared the man would put two and two together. 

The cell door opened and a Marine stepped inside. "Get up. General Vaughan wants to see you." 

Mulder uncurled and climbed to his feet. He wondered why Vaughan wanted to see him in the middle of the night. 

Another Marine was waiting out in the corridor. "Put your hands behind your back," he ordered while holding up a pair of handcuffs and shackles. 

After Mulder's wrists were cuffed and his ankles shackled, they led him down the corridor. Passing the stairs and elevator to the general's office, they proceeded down several long corridors to a freight elevator. The underground complex seemed to stretch for miles. 

"Where are we going?" Mulder asked as he stepped onto the cold metal grid floor of the freight elevator. It was rough against the soles of his bare feet, making Mulder wish for a pair of shoes. 

"General Vaughan has a ranch off base." 

As the freight elevator rose, Mulder felt his ears pop and wondered how deep beneath the ground they had been. The elevator opened inside a warehouse and he was led through aisles with shelves stacked high with military equipment, then finally out to a parking lot. Looking up at the nighttime sky, Mulder realized that the moon was a few days away from being full, another problem that he'd forgotten about. 

"Ouch!" Mulder felt a sharp pain and looked down at his foot. Blood dripped from a wound where a piece of glass had sliced through his flesh. With his hands cuffed behind his back he was unable to pull it out. 

"What's wrong?" the Marine asked. 

"I stepped on a piece of glass." 

The Marine kneeled and grabbed Mulder's foot. "Shit, it went in pretty deep," he commented as he pulled the glass out then used a handkerchief to bind the wound. "We'll clean it when we get to the General's place." 

Mulder was helped into the back of a jeep. His foot throbbed as blood soaked the handkerchief. 

~x~X~x~ 

As the jeep headed out of the parking lot, a tall male figure stepped out of the warehouse, paused, and sniffed the air. He moved stealthily over to the blood on the asphalt. Bending he picked up the bloody shard of glass and sniffed it. 

The bounty hunter stood, his eyes followed the taillights of a vehicle off in the distance. He dropped the glass shard and started after the vehicle on foot. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Rat and Dog 

Wednesday, July 31, 2002 

It was a little after midnight as Krycek lay on his back staring up at the dark ceiling. "I wonder if I'll go into labor early," he said from his position next to John on their bed. This was the day that Laura wanted him to get out of bed. 

John rolled onto his side; his warm hand came to rest on the round mound of Krycek's belly. "It would be nice if you had the baby early, but don't over exert yourself trying to speed things along. Let nature take its course." 

"Do you know what's the first thing I want to do this morning?" 

"No what?" 

"Take a hike down to the swimming beach on the Gunmen's side of the lake." Krycek had been dreaming about that beach since Mulder had mentioned it to him two months ago. 

"I'll pack a picnic basket and we'll make a day out of it." 

"I'd like that." Krycek turned his head and smiled at his lover. They had a few rough spots in their short relationship but he wouldn't trade John for anyone -- not even Fox. "I can't wait to go outside into the sunlight." 

"I better pack the sun screen." John chuckled. "You have no idea how white you are compared to the rest of us." 

"You try spending the summer indoors," Krycek grumbled, enjoying the look of happiness of John's face. 

"You'll have all of August to catch up on your tan. After you have the baby, you can help me chop wood for the winter. We don't have Fox to do it for us like last year." 

"How's Walter handling Fox's absence?" Krycek missed Fox badly. His friend used to come up to the loft every day to chat. 

"Walt's being very stoic and working extra hard on the addition. If he didn't have Connor to take care of, I know that he'd be off to rescue Fox." 

"He shouldn't worry too much. Fox will be fine. The man's like a cat -- he always lands on his feet." 

"For Walt's sake, I hope you're right." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Wednesday, July 31, 2002 

The Marine kneeled at Mulder's feet and cleaned and bandaged his foot while General Vaughan, sipping bourbon, stood watching in the bathroom doorway. 

The general marveled at how sexy Mulder looked in that thin orange prison uniform. He could not stop fantasizing about this man. He'd finally gave up his efforts at self-control and ordered that Mulder be brought to his home. Maybe if he got his rocks off, he'd be able to get a handle on his lust. 

"Aren't you done yet?" Vaughan growled impatiently. 

"Just finishing, sir," the Marine answered as he stood. 

"Go wait outside." 

"Yes, sir." The Marine picked up the shackles off the bathroom sink then headed out the door. 

Mulder stood balancing on his good foot; his wrists were still cuffed behind his back. 

"Follow me," Vaughan said as he led Mulder into the bedroom. 

While Mulder nervously glanced around the room, Vaughan crept up behind him and tackled him onto the bed. The bed shook and mattress creaked as Vaughan wrestled with Mulder before finally trapping him on his back. 

As the general lay on top of Mulder, he ground his erection against the younger man's groin. Burying his face in the crook of Mulder's neck, Vaughan sucked on the tender flesh, leaving a bright red mark. 

"Get off me!" Mulder bucked and twisted, but with his wrists trapped under his body there was no hope of getting the larger man off him. "Damn you!" 

A gunshot sounded outside followed by several more shots. The general climbed off Mulder and hurried to the bedroom door to find out what was happening outside. 

The front door was suddenly kicked in and a tall, menacing-looking, white man stepped into the room. Vaughan grabbed his gun from the sideboard. His eyes widened as he realized that he was face to face with an alien morph. The man was oozing green blood from where the bullets had struck him. 

"Where is Fox Mulder?" the morph asked as he sniffed the air. 

The vapors from the alien's blood burned the General's eyes and skin. He'd be dead if he hadn't received a vaccine against the alien virus months ago. Unfortunately they hadn't produced enough of the vaccine to give it to the enlisted men -- only the officers had received it. 

As the general raised the gun to fire, the morph charged and slammed Vaughan against the wall. The back of his head impacted with a loud crack and a flash of lights behind his eyes. As he slid down the wall, losing consciousness, he heard a window shatter in the room. He only hoped that Mulder would be able to get away. 

~x~X~x~ 

Bleeding from several cuts, Mulder hurried across the rough uneven ground as his eyes scanned for a place to hide. It was useless, no matter how hard he tried. Without shoes, an injured foot, and with his hands cuffed behind his back, he just wasn't able to move fast enough to get away. 

It didn't take long before the bounty hunter tackled him from behind and slammed him down hard on rocky ground. Sandburs and sharp stones sliced into his flesh. The morph roughly flipped Mulder onto his back and held up a sharp, pointy plam while grabbing the thin orange fabric of his shirt. The morph's eyes burned with a dark malevolence as he glared at Mulder. 

With the realization that the morph intended to kill Mulder, anger burned in his veins. No way would he allow that to happen! He'd promised to return to Walter, so Mulder focused his energy inward and willed himself to change. The metallic thud of the metal handcuffs impacting the rocky ground sounded over his heavy breathing seconds before he went for the morph's throat in wolf-form. 

The morph stabbed him with the plam, but missed the base of the Mulder's furry neck. The blade sank into the knotted muscles behind the wolf's shoulder blades. 

After tearing out the morph's throat and burning his mouth on the creature's blood, Mulder took off running across the field. In wolf form he was able to move quickly despite his injuries. Fearing that he had only wounded the morph, Mulder knew he had to increase the distance between them before the alien recovered enough to resume the hunt. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Rat and Dog 

Wednesday, July 31, 2002 

At first light, John helped Alex shower and dress and then they headed downstairs for breakfast. 

Krycek looked around the kitchen. He'd really missed the warmth of this room; how the sunlight filtered in through the window over the sink. Herbs in small clay pots sat on the window ledge. It reminded Krycek of the first time he'd stepped foot inside the cabin and marveled at how homey Fox had made the place. 

Jim was in the kitchen. He turned and smiled at them. "Alex, how are you feeling?" 

"Don't ask," Alex grumbled. John held the counter chair for Krycek and he lowered his large frame down on the soft cushion. Alex had to sit sideways in order to get close enough to the cook's table. "Let's just say it feels nice to come down stairs." 

"Laura seemed pretty certain you'll have the baby within the next week," Jim smiled. 

"I hope she's right. I'd like this pregnancy to be over." Krycek placed his hand on the small of his back. "I never realized just how physically hard women had it." 

"Me, neither," John said as he handed Alex a mug of coffee. Then John sat at the cook's table with his own mug. "Barb was very stoic throughout her pregnancy." 

Krycek glared at him. "And what? I'm not?" 

John chuckled. "No, you're not." 

"You try gaining over seventy pounds and carrying the weight of a watermelon around inside your stomach and see how stoic you'd be about it." 

John's arms went around Krycek's body from behind and a kiss was placed on the back of his head. His lover's soft voice and breath tickled Krycek's ear. "Alex, I don't blame you for complaining. I'd be impossible to live with if I was the one who was pregnant." 

Walter walked into the kitchen through the back door. He had Connor strapped to his chest in a Bjorn and was carrying a basket filled with fresh vegetables and mushrooms. 

"Thanks, Walt," Jim said as he took the basket. "I hope everyone is up for Spanish omelets." 

"I am," Alex said. 

Walter leaned up against the counter and looked at Alex. "So what are your plans for your first day out of bed in three months?" 

"After John finishes his chores, we're going to walk to the swimming beach." Krycek smiled. "If a six mile hike doesn't move this pregnancy along, I'll take up jogging." 

"Alex," John's voice warned. 

Krycek rolled his eyes. "I know ... take it easy." 

John put his hand on Alex's shoulder. "I don't want you over-exerting yourself. Laura is worried about your blood pressure and weight gain. You shouldn't even be having that cup of coffee." 

"My blood pressure isn't that high!" Krycek wasn't about to slow down now that Laura had given him permission to get out of bed. "I'll admit to being fat, but once I'm able to exercise that will no longer be a problem." 

As Alex and John argued, Jim sauteed green peppers, mushrooms, onions, and potatoes in the pan. "I'll make sandwiches for your hike to the beach. If Blair's feet weren't so swollen, we'd go with you." 

"Connor and I will go, so make an extra sandwich for me, Jim," Walter said. 

Krycek was surprised that Walter would take time from working on the addition to goof off for the day. 

"We have fresh eggplants," Jim said. "So I'll make roasted eggplant sandwiches with the goat cheese that Jimmy dropped off yesterday." He grinned and added, "I'll make enough for the Gunmen ... so we can score some babysitting points with them." 

John chuckled. "I like the way you think, Jim." 

"Hey, we need to plan for the future," Jim said as he stirred the scrambled eggs into the sauteed vegetables. Then he put the whole pan into the pre-heated oven. 

"You know what I'd really like?" Alex said. 

"Fudge brownies?" John said. 

"No. A big Mac." 

Walter sighed. "God, it's been over a year since I had a hamburger." 

"Short of killing Bambi and Phoebe, I have no idea where we'd get ground beef," John said. 

"Your dad could get it for us," Alex said. 

"My dad is still worried that the military is watching him." 

"The moment Fox gets back we'll radio your dad. I'm sure he'll want to see his granddaughter." 

Jim pulled the Spanish omelet out of the oven and divided it onto five plates. He added toast to each of the plates then set them before the three men at the cook's table before taking the other two plates back to his bedroom. 

"Maybe we can get a calf to raise for meat," Krycek said. 

"Alex, it's going to be hard enough killing those four pigs in a couple of months," John grumbled. 

"I wouldn't have a problem." Krycek picked up his fork and dug into his breakfast. He'd killed enough men that killing animals for food didn't faze him. 

~x~X~x~ 

Frohike cradled Connor in his arms as he sat on the picnic table next to the lake in the shade of a large old oak tree. The same tree, where as a boy, he had built a tree house in its sturdy branches. From one of the branches that extended over the water, he had tied a rope. He'd use the rope to swing out over the lake, then let go. He sighed with happiness as he held the baby. This place brought back so many pleasant memories. His attention drifted from watching the other men swim to this small person in his arms. Connor looked a lot like Mulder from the shape of his head, high cheekbones, and that full lower lip. His other features were all Skinner from his nose to those deep brown eyes. 

As the baby's godfather and Mulder's best friend, Frohike felt very close to Connor, and even fancied the boy someday calling him Grandpa instead of Uncle Melvin. He'd help him build a new tree house in this tree. 

With no women around the men were skinny-dipping. Walter was standing on a platform that floated on top of empty steel drums in the deeper part of the lake. Even with shrinkage from the cool mountain lake, Frohike wondered how on Earth Mulder was able to handle Walter's girth as he stared in awe at the man's bouncing fat cock and large balls. He could only imagine how big Walter would be erect. His eyes wandered over to Krycek. The younger man wasn't so much swimming as he was standing up to his breasts in the clear water. 

A blush spread across Frohike's face and he quickly looked away. It was hard getting used to seeing a man with breasts. He glanced back at Walter as the man dove into the water from the swimming platform. Other than the large nipples, Walter's breasts didn't look at all feminine, unlike the round softness of Alex's breasts. He wondered if it had to do with Alex being a full hermaphrodite. 

Langly and Jimmy swam to shore and walked across the sandy beach, stopping in front of Frohike. 

"I'm hungry, did you make lunch?" Langly asked. 

"There are leftovers in the fridge from dinner last night." 

"No there aren't." Langly shook his head and water from his long hair splashed Frohike. "Jimmy and I finished those off 'bout one o'clock in the morning." 

Frohike sighed. "Why don't you open a can of tuna and make yourself a sandwich?" 

Langly shrugged. "Doesn't that require mixing other ingredients together?" 

"C'mon, Ringo, I'll make the sandwiches," Jimmy said. "Melvin, would you like one?" 

"Sure." Frohike smiled as his attention returned to the sleeping baby in his arms. The weather was perfect. The only thing preventing him from being truly happy was the knowledge that Mulder was in the hands of the military. Frohike was secretly working with Sean to get the location of where the military was holding Mulder. They had to be extra careful that their inquiries didn't arouse suspicions. 

Walter, John, and Alex abandoned the water and allowed the sun to dry their skin before pulling on some clothes. Walter grabbed the picnic basket. "We brought sandwiches if you're hungry, Mel." 

"Jimmy's fixing me a tuna sandwich." Frohike leaned forward and looked into the picnic basket. "What do you have?" 

"Fried eggplant and goat cheese." 

"Mm, I guess I'll have half a sandwich. Langly and Jimmy can fight over the other half." 

"No need, Jim made enough sandwiches for everyone," John said. "We probably should have mentioned that when we arrived." 

"They won't go to waste," Frohike said as he placed the baby into the wicker bassinet and covered it with mosquito netting. "Byers will be happy to have something to eat when he gets back from Laura's and Liz's place." 

No longer being held, Connor started crying and Walter hurried to pick him up. "Sh, sweetheart, Daddy has you ... I suppose you're ready for lunch, too." 

"Did you bring a bottle?" Frohike asked. 

"Yes. I packed it in the cooler on ice with our drinks," Walter said. "Do you mind if I use your stove to heat it?" 

"You don't have to ask, you're welcome to anything here." Frohike bit into the sandwich and thought he had gone to heaven. Ellison was becoming as good a cook as Frohike and Mulder. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Saturday, August 3, 2002 

The wolf limped across the parched earth under the blazing sun. The heat was visible as rippling waves in the distance. After three days of traveling with only brief rests, unable to go any further, he finally collapsed beside a muddy stream. His injuries, on top of total exhaustion, had finally brought the beast to his knees. 

As he lay on the dry soil under the shade of sagebrush, the wolf shape-shifted back into human form. Mulder raised his head and looked wearily around. The last thing he remembered was being trapped beneath the morph and the glint of the plam in its hold. Mulder had no idea how he'd gotten away with his life or where in the hell he was. When he noticed a few paw prints in the soil around him, he concluded that his attempt to shape-shift into a wolf had worked. He had wondered if he could learn to shape-shift at will. Then he noticed that he was still wearing the orange prison uniform. The ability to retain their clothes when they shape-shifted into wolves still amazed him. According to Frohike who had witnessed Mulder's transformation into a wolf, his clothes seemed to disappear beneath the fur. 

Lowering his head back to the ground, he let out a groan. All the bones in his body ached. His skin itched. Overhead crows were circling menacingly. To top it off he felt sick and feverous. 

As hard as he tried to stay awake, it was no use and soon the surroundings faded to gray. 

~x~X~x~ 

Simon Banks looked up at the crows circling off in the distance over the muddy stream that he and his son, Daryl, had been following. Something must be close to dying. 

"Let's go see what those crows are interested in," Simon said. 

Living off the land, since they had escaped with their lives from Seacouver had taught Simon to scavenge for food wherever it was available. It had been a hard year for them. 

"Come on, Dad, it's probably just a dead rat," Daryl said, "And I'm not that hungry!" 

"They wouldn't be circling if it were dead." Simon started off in that direction. 

A bright swatch of orange caught Simon's eyes as he neared. "It's a man," he said, quickening his stride. 

Simon shrugged off the large backpack and kneeled beside the sagebrush and the man curled up in a fetal position beneath it. 

"Is he alive?" Daryl asked. 

"He's breathing." Simon took in the man's , torn outfit. "He must be an escaped convict ... but I don't know of any prisons anywhere near here." 

"Maybe we should just leave him...." 

"I raised you better than that," Simon chided. 

"But, Dad, he could be a murderer or a rapist." 

"He's a human being in need of our help." Simon leaned forward, trying to see the man's face. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Simon shook it. "Mister, come on wake up." 

Getting no response, Simon turned to his son. "Unroll my sleeping bag. I want to place him on it so I can examine him." Simon glanced up at the sky -- it would be dark in a few hours. "We might as well make camp here for the night." 

For once Daryl didn't argue but did as told. After clearing a few stones from the ground, he spread the sleeping bag out then helped to move the injured man on top of it. 

As Simon examined the stranger, Daryl went about setting up their camp for the night. A task Daryl had helped his dad with countless times. 

During the winter they had stayed at a refugee camp in Northern California. A decision Simon had come to regret. The camp was riddled with crime and gangs, making life there too dangerous. Heavy snowfalls and severe cold had prevented them from leaving the camp until early March. Since then they'd been constantly on the move. The problem was, they had nowhere to go. He briefly thought about going back to his hometown of Rossburg, but gave up that idea -- other than Daryl, Simon had no other family. Outside of his son, the only other people Simon considered himself close to were his friends Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg. They were on vacation someplace out on the East coast when the aliens attacked and Simon wondered if they had survived. So now he and Daryl were traveling in a southerly and eastern direction, hoping to find someplace warm to settle down or at least stay at through this winter. 

Simon retrieved the first aid kit from his backpack. He kneeled beside the unconscious man and proceeded to tend to his wounds. 

"How is he, Dad?" 

"He seems to be dehydrated and is running a fever. Most of his cuts appear to be days old and have scabbed over. He has a puncture wound on his shoulder that appears to be infected." Simon studied the man's face -- something about it was familiar. 

"Is he going to live?" 

"If we can get his fever down and some liquids into him, I think he should be fine." Simon cleaned the shoulder wound, then applied antiseptic gel. After he bandaged it, he looked around their camp. "We're going to have to stay put until we can get him back on his feet." 

"How long will that take?" Daryl asked impatiently. 

Simon said simply, "It will take as long as it takes." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Rat and Dog 

Monday, August 5, 2002 

**"AUUGHH!"**

"Breathe," John said as he wiped the sweat from Alex's face with a washcloth. 

Catching his breath, Krycek glared at him. "That's easy for you to say! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this position!" 

John only smiled and said, "At this point, Barb was calling me a heartless bastard." 

Raising her head from between Alex's spread legs, Liz smiled at them. "You're dilated to nine. It won't be much longer." 

Krycek never expected giving birth would be so painful. He knew it would hurt but this was worse than having his arm hacked off and these were only the contractions. He dreaded the actual birth. How he would be able to push such a large object through so tiny an opening without a lot of tearing or dislocating his hip was beyond him. They must be expecting some bleeding since Laura and Liz had placed plastic under the sheets on top of the mattress. 

Laura checked his blood pressure. "You're doing well." 

"Can't you give me something for the pain?" 

"Sorry. Nothing we have would be safe for the baby." 

Another contraction tore through Krycek's gut. His fingers dug into the sheets. 

John glared at her. "Couldn't you have gotten an epidural for him?" 

Laura shrugged. "Women have been giving birth naturally for millennia. Pain is part of the process." 

"That was before they developed drugs to deal with the pain," John argued. 

"There are no drugs that are totally safe for the baby," Laura said. 

"Laura, please." Liz frowned. "I'm sorry ... I should have gotten the drugs for an epidural while I was still working at the hospital." 

Their discussion was giving Krycek a headache on top of all of his other aches and pains. The next hour dragged by like molasses. When he was finally dilated to ten and a few pushes away from delivering his and John's daughter, Krycek no longer cared about the pain; he just wanted it to be over. 

"I can see the top of her head," Liz announced. "Okay, Alex, I want you to push on your next contraction." 

Being dog-tired, Krycek was having a hard enough time breathing let alone having the energy to push. But when the next contraction racked his body, he pushed with the last of his strength. The pain was intense as the baby was expelled from his body with a gush of fluid. He collapsed back on the mattress, and smiled when he heard John's amazed voice. 

"She's perfect," he proclaimed. 

"Do you want to do the honors?" Liz asked, handing John a scissor. 

John snipped the umbilical cord. 

Through a weary fog Krycek listened to their voices. A baby started crying, then she was placed on his chest. Krycek smiled as he looked at her. She was so tiny. A surge of pride swelled Krycek's chest as he placed his hand on her back. "She is perfect, John, isn't she?" 

"Very." John leaned down and kissed him. "You did good, Alex." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Frog 

Thursday, August 8, 2002 

"Are you sure?" Frohike asked. 

"I'm sure." Sean walked over to the window and looked outside. "The military has listed Mulder as being abducted by aliens. They aren't even attempting to search for him. He's gone." 

"How could the aliens have gotten to Mulder?" Frohike felt sick and wasn't ready to accept that his best friend was gone for good. 

"My sources said that he had been taken from Area 51 to a General Thomas Vaughan's ranch. An alien morph tracked him there and killed two marine guards before knocking the general out and abducting Mulder." 

"What am I going to tell Walter?" 

"The truth." 

"Let's keep this between us for now." Frohike couldn't bring himself to destroy everyone's hope for Mulder's return just yet. Furthermore, Frohike would be damned if he wasn't going to find out everything he could about this alleged abduction. One thing he'd learned from experience was not to trust the government or the military. So if there was the slightest possibility that the information wasn't true and Mulder was still in military custody, Frohike intended to find out. Even if he had to go to Area 51 himself. 

~x~X~x~ 

End of Chapter Fifteen: The Escape 

Coming soon Chapter Sixteen: A Long Road Home 

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